Somebody Love Me
by Rogue Pryde
Summary: Kagome is so used to being scorned again and again by the one she loves. Will sweet words and gentle looks blind her to an abusive relationship? How far will Inuyasha go to save her?
1. Default Chapter

Oh dear oh dear oh dear! Look at stupid ol me, starting yet another fic. At least summer's coming! I can update them all! *laughs maniacally, this is gonna be so much fun! Plus there's a fifth or sixth story/stories coming up too! I just get all these ideas and I have to write them before I forget! Humor me, please?! I promise to update all of them. I promise!!!! Oh! And Home Is Where The Hurt Is won the vote polls (was there a doubt?) so it'll be updated next! ^_^ luv u guys! ~_^ (Thanks for the wink Rivendellgurl15!)  
  
**********~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~** *****~~  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha let his frustrations show in his voice. "What is your problem?! I said I was 'sorry'!"  
  
Kagome forced herself to stop running, and turned to face him. "You just don't get it, do you?"  
  
He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Get what?"  
  
"I'm not just your freaking shard detector! How do you think it makes me feel every time you say that? I'm never part of the group, am I? I'm just Kagome, I sense the shards, but other than that I'm useless. My word Inuyasha! I thought we were friends!"  
  
"I SAID I was sorry, wench! How come you're so quick to forgive Shippo when he's a brat, and Miroku for being a perv, but you always take your sweet time forgiving me?!"  
  
"Maybe because it doesn't hurt as bad when they screw up!" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.  
  
"Or maybe you're just too sensitive." As soon as he spoke he wished he could take it back. The hurt was evident in her eyes.  
  
"Yeah." She said softly, her eyes hardening. "Stupid me, actually giving a rip what you think." She turned and stomped towards the well.  
  
Inuyasha wanted to follow her, with every fiber of his being, but he couldn't. He knew it was his pride, getting in the way again, but he still couldn't make himself follow her. He had said sorry! Wasn't that enough for her? It was more than the others had learned to expect.  
  
He tried to ignore the echo of her words in his mind, and the guilt that came with them.  
  
******~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~* *******  
  
Kagome groaned as she forced herself to get out of bed and start her day. She did NOT feel like going to school today, but she had tests. Stifling a yawn, she forced herself out of bed, and methodically changed into her school uniform and brushed her teeth and hair. She checked her reflection in the mirror before heading downstairs, not that anyone important would see her.  
  
Why did she have to care so much what Inuyasha thought? Why did HE matter so much? Sango, Miroku and all the others were never as rude as he was, yet every put down, every insult, every "If Kikyo were here," made her want to scream in frustration, or even worse, sob uncontrollably. If this was love than why couldn't she have fallen for someone who actually cared about her? She just had to go and fall for the guy who was in love with her past self and had a major attitude problem.  
  
Way to go Kagome.  
  
After breakfast, she walked to school, welcoming the exercise, knowing it could possibly help her endurance for her little 'adventures'. *I'm such a lap dog.* She thought to herself bitterly. *So eager to please.*  
  
Since she had taken so little time with her appearance that day, she arrived early, and found herself a cozy spot against the building, taking in the morning sunshine. Sighing, she pulled out her 'secret' notebook, and began doing the only thing that ever offered comfort from Inuyasha's words. Composing.  
  
'What do you see, When you look at me  
  
When our eyes meet, And the world stops moving  
  
What do you see, When I turn away  
  
When I hide my face, from your searching gaze  
  
What do you see  
  
When you look at me'  
  
Kagome bit the top of her pencil, thinking briefly before continuing in furious scribbles.  
  
Don't you dare stand there, and look at me  
  
With your gaze distant in memories  
  
Don't you dare meet my gaze  
  
And call me by another name  
  
Don't you see the girl who shares your secret smiles  
  
Or do you see she who knew your ever flaw  
  
Don't you see a woman who can be strong for you  
  
Instead of the one who curses your name  
  
Do you see me when you look at my face  
  
Kagome gazed at the last line. She liked that a lot, and the beginning ones too, but something in the middle just didn't work right.  
  
"Do you see a woman who will be strong for you, instead of the one who curses your name" A voice came from behind her. "Will be, is more definite than 'can be'." He stretched out his hand, "My name is Jason, I'm the new exchange student from America, and I've been there."  
  
She instantly felt at ease in his company. "Hi, I'm Kagome, and thanks, I think that really works."  
  
"No problem." He sat next to her, smiling comfortably. "I hope I'm not offending you, but what guy in his right mind would choose another girl over someone so beautiful?"  
  
She flushed. She knew he was just flirting, but it felt nice to be complimented for a change. "A guy who's still in love with his dead girlfriend."  
  
"Ouch." The boy winced. "That's gotta suck for you."  
  
"Yeah." She said softly. "It really does. And to make matters worse, I look almost exactly like her."  
  
"I still think the guy's insane." He wrinkled his nose, making her laugh.  
  
"Well that makes two of us." She closed the notebook, and slid it back into her backpack. "Do you write songs, or did the sight of me suddenly inspire you?"  
  
He grinned. "I do write sometimes, but that doesn't mean you don't inspire me." He laughed, and she joined in.  
  
"And what did you mean by 'I've been there'?" She couldn't help but ask. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."  
  
"No, it's fine. If anyone can understand, it's a girl who writes like you do. I had a girlfriend, back in America, who ended up leaving me for my best friend. I really thought I loved her too. Now I wonder if she just dated me to get closer to him." His eyes darkened a little, and Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm really sorry." And she meant it. He had to feel like she did every time Inuyasha was caught kissing Kikyo instead of killing her. Betrayed.  
  
"It's not your fault." He said briskly, as if pushing the pain away. "But hey, since I'm new here, do you wanna show me around?"  
  
"Sure! Not a problem!" For the first time, Kagome realized just how good looking he was. *I wonder what my friends are going to say. . .*  
  
********~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~~***** *****  
  
They had a lot to say, and a lot of people to say to. By lunch, everyone wanted to know just how good of 'friends' Kagome and the new guy were. By the end of the week, the answer was more satisfactory.  
  
"You're going on a date with him!" Her friends all but shrieked.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Can you scream any louder? I don't think they heard you over in 'his' country!"  
  
Instantly she was bombarded with questions.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Are you an official couple?"  
  
"Are you gonna blow him off, like you did Hojo?"  
  
"Speaking of Hojo, how do you think HE'LL feel about this?"  
  
A calm, but slightly sad, voice interrupted them. "Hojo's just fine with it." He strode over to stand by Kagome. "Kagome, you are a great girl. All I want is for you to be happy."  
  
Her friends all swooned.  
  
*How could she turn down a guy like that!* Flashed through all they're minds.  
  
"Thanks Hojo, it means a lot that you said that."  
  
"Hojo?" A hard voice cut him off before he could answer. "How are you doing?" The question was simple, but even Hojo could tell that Jason wasn't very happy.  
  
"Uh. . . good?" He looked at Kagome confused.  
  
"Good." The boy's voice was cold. "Now be good somewhere else, so I can talk to Kagome." Hojo looked a little bit lost for a second, but than left.  
  
"That was mean." She punched his shoulder playfully. "But you're cute when you're jealous."  
  
"Really?" A smile played at the corner of his lips. "Than I must be cute ALL the time, because there's no way I WOULDN'T be jealous over you. You're a treasure, Kagome."  
  
She blushed. He said things like that a lot, and she really wasn't used to hearing them. "And you're the sweetest person on earth."  
  
He bowed. "I try. Can I walk you to your next class?"  
  
"Like you even have to ask!" She grinned, and linked arms with him as they headed down the hall.  
  
*********~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
"Hey guys! I'm back!" Kagome smiled happily as she climbed through the well.  
  
"Took you long enough." Inuyasha grumbled not sure how to handle the situation after she had run off like she did.  
  
"Oh, you just like to complain!" She laughed, and hugged everyone. "I've missed you guys! And forget about last time Inuyasha, I'm totally over it. In fact, you could even say it was a good thing."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" He asked suspiciously. Miroku, Sango, and the others looked intrigued. What could be making her so happy.  
  
"I don't know if I should tell you. So I won't. Let's go shard hunting!"  
  
"What kind of an answer is that, wench!"  
  
"SIT! Don't call me wench!"  
  
********~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~  
  
"So Kagome, you want to tell me what you're so happy about?" Sango sighed comfortably as they slid into the Hot Springs.  
  
"Yes!" She could barely stop herself from squealing. "But you have to promise not to tell Inuyasha!"  
  
"I promise!" Sango agreed quickly, leaning forward eagerly.  
  
"I met a guy, in my time, and he is really really great!" She paused for a second, a dreamy look on her face. "And believe it or not, he likes me too! We're OFFICIALLY dating!"  
  
Sango's mouth dropped open. "But I thought you had a thing going for Inuyasha."  
  
Kagome stopped smiling, and stared at the water. "I did, but he can be so. . . frustrating sometimes! And Jason. . . Jason knows just what to say to make me feel better. He's sweet and nice and caring, and funny, and romantic, and he really cares about me. I need that Sango. I really need someone to love 'me'. I can only play the 'lovesick reincarnation' for so long. You have no idea how nice it is to feel special after all that. After always being the 'copy'."  
  
"If this guy can really make you forget all that Kag, he has my vote!" She patted her friend on the shoulder. "I'm really happy for you."  
  
"Thanks!" Kagome smiled contentedly and sank deeper into the bubbling water.  
  
********~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~*** *******  
  
Okay, so not much has happened yet, but the good parts coming up! Sure, every thing SEEMS great, but you know how I am. Jason's not gonna be all he's cracked up to be, and he's got some serious issues about being boyfriend and girlfriend. Issues that are gonna make life very difficult for Kagome. How far is she willing to go to be 'loved'? Remember, I update by review averages!  
  
Rogue Pryde 


	2. Forgiveness

Here we go! The last update before I start tallying the votes/reviews! This is your last chance to pick the order of the fic updates! *Whew!* It's hard work to switch from story to story, but it's really fun. And you know what *cough cough* there's like *cough cough* THREE more I want to start!!!!! What is WRONG with me! One's a CIA one I'm gonna cowrite with a friend, and another is one I just have a small idea about and the third is (what else) a MAJOR angsty one called Soulless Perfection. I guess we'll see. Grrr.. MUST HAVE SELF CONTROL. DO NOT START ANY MORE FICS! Dude! Oh well, enjoy!  
  
OH!  
  
I almost forgot  
  
I DID write the song in the last chapter. I'm so glad you liked it! I had thought of the line "do you see me when you look at my face" for something else, not an Inuyasha song, but it worked so well, I decided to modify it. Hehehe. Silent Screams is gonna have one I wrote too called "Empty Eyes" but it probably won't be for a couple more chapters.  
  
***********~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~~**********~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey Kagome!" Jason appeared behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. The two had been meeting at school early on the days Kagome had told him she'd come no matter how 'sick' she was feeling.  
  
"Hey Jason!" She turned, smiling. "Care to join me for breakfast?" She motioned towards the pack of powdered doughnuts resting on her backpack. "I didn't have time for a real one this morning. I slept in and it was breakfast or you. And I chose you!" She blushed as she said the words. He said things like that to her all the time, but for her to say them to him made her feel like a flirt even though he was her boyfriend.  
  
"Doughnuts?" He wrinkled his nose. "They're really not the best for you, Kagome. Everybody eats them in America, which probably contributes to the overwhelming number of fat people there. Are you sure you want to do that to yourself?"  
  
She stared at him. "Are you calling me fat?" She tried to sound outraged, but she couldn't hide the sudden rush of insecurities that overwhelmed her.  
  
"Or course not. I love you just the way you are! But I want YOU to be happy, and I know you wouldn't be happy if you couldn't fit into your school uniform one morning." He looked at her with such concern. . . she couldn't be mad at him.  
  
"What am I supposed to do about breakfast?" She asked. "The vending machine doesn't exactly have bacon and eggs."  
  
He laughed. "I guess not. But you know, it's not a bad idea to skip one or two meals a day. My old girlfriend ate all the time, she didn't care what it did to her body." He hugged her tight. "You're so much better than her Kagome, sometimes I don't know what I ever saw in her." He whispered in her ear. "And I love you so much, I have to be honest with you. You're gorgeous now, but if you lost a few pounds, think how jealous everyone would be of me. You're already perfect, but it's always good to push the boundaries! And I know you can do it!"  
  
Some part of her brain told her that he should NOT be telling her to lose weight, especially since she was skinnier than all of her friends, but that voice was drowned out with the sound of his words. *You're gorgeous. . . I love you so much. . . . You're already perfect. . . . I know you can do it!* Kagome pulled away slightly, and smiled up at him.  
  
"Whatever it takes Jason, I'll make you proud!"  
  
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "You make me proud every time I see you, I don't see how I can stand to be any more proud, but I'm sure you'll make me."  
  
She flushed in pleasure. "Are we still meeting for lunch?"  
  
He groaned. "I can't! My stupid History teacher thinks I was cheating on a test, so I have to retake it during lunch."  
  
"How annoying!" Kagome hastened to take his side. "I can't believe she would accuse you of that!"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, tell me about it. But I'll take you home after school, k?"  
  
"Sure!" She blushed slightly as he leaned down to kiss her. "I'll wait for you in the front."  
  
He waved. "Love you!"  
  
She blushed again and waved back. He said it all the time, but it still made her heart flutter. But for some reason, she had never been able to say it back to him. She had never been able to force the words out of her mouth. Maybe she just needed more time.  
  
*********~~~~~~~~~~~Lunch*************~~~~~~~~  
  
"Kagome!" One of her friends squealed. "Look at what they're serving for lunch today!"  
  
Obligingly, she glanced over at her friend's tray. "Looks great!" And it did. It looked really really great. But it also looked really really unhealthy. And hadn't Jason said one or TWO meals a day? She didn't want to settle for perfect, she wanted to push the boundaries, just like he'd said.  
  
"Well, aren't you getting any?" Her friends all looked at her expectantly.  
  
"Nah." She shrugged. "I'm not very hungry." That was a lie. She was starving.  
  
They nodded sympathetically. "It's because you're always sick, isn't it? Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, I just don't feel up to eating right now." She put on a brave smile for her friends. "You guys go ahead though."  
  
They all began to eat, when one of them stopped suddenly. "Hey, where's Jason today? Doesn't he always eat with you?"  
  
She shrugged. "Yeah, but he had to do something for teacher." He did, he had to retake a test for a teacher. It wasn't HER fault if the way she'd said it made him sound better.  
  
"Which means I can talk to you today?" They all turned around to see Hojo standing behind Kagome's seat.  
  
"What do you mean? You can always talk to me."  
  
"Not according to your boyfriend." Hojo took a seat next to her.  
  
"He knows I only like you as a friend, but he's just so protective." *Like Inuyasha* a small voice whispered, but she shrugged it off. Not like Inuyasha. Inuyasha protected her because she was a shard detector, not for any other reason. End of story.  
  
"That's so sweet!" Her friends all swooned. Kagome and Hojo sweatdropped.  
  
"Anyway, how have you been?" She turned her attention back to the boy next to her. "It's been a long time since we've talked."  
  
"I'm good. Nothing interesting's happened. What about you?"  
  
Her friends all jumped in. "She's feeling a little sick!"  
  
"She's not eating lunch today!"  
  
"She's nauseous!"  
  
"And she looks so pale!"  
  
"And-"  
  
All it took was a twitching Kagome to shut them up.  
  
"I'm fine." She insisted, smiling at Hojo. "Just a little queasiness. Nothing serious."  
  
"It's not good to skip meals though, are you sure you can't eat anything?" He actually looked concerned.  
  
"I'm fine." She repeated. "It's okay to skip one or two meals, ya know."  
  
Everyone stared at her. Where had she gotten THAT ridiculous notion?  
  
"Kagome." A low voice came from behind her. They all looked up to see a not so pleased Jason.  
  
"Hey!" She smiled brightly, than frowned. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Can I talk to you privately?" He gripped her arm painfully.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Sure." She followed him, her friends watching in confusion. He didn't stop until they were in an empty hallway. "What's up?"  
  
"What's up?" He demanded. "How can you ask that! I finish my test early, head to lunch, excited to get to eat with you, and I see you sitting next to another guy! I thought you loved me Kagome!"  
  
"Jason! It wasn't like that! Hojo and I haven't talked in awhile, we just wanted to catch up!"  
  
"How do you think that makes me feel? You're MY girlfriend. It hurts me to see you with other guys!" The grip on her arm tightened, and Kagome winced.  
  
"Look, Jason, I'm sorry, okay! I didn't think it would hurt you so bad!"  
  
"That's right, you didn't think!"  
  
"I said I was sorry!" Her eyes softened. "I didn't eat lunch today." She smiled at him. "I know you want me to be better than that."  
  
"Really?" He removed his hand from her bruising arm.  
  
"Really!" She forced herself not to rub it until he was gone. "You're right, I should push the boundaries. Not because I'm great, but because I want you to be happy!"  
  
He wrapped her in a tight hug. "I love you Kagome."  
  
"I'm really sorry." She whispered into his shirt.  
  
"It's okay, I forgive you."  
  
*************~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~**** ****~~~  
  
Okay, I'm ending it kinda early here. The next chapter will have Kagome back in the past, and what'll they think of her changes? And I think the "I forgive you" is ominous. It could just be me though. What do you guys think of Jason now? Lol. I'll update soon! Don't forget to review the ones you want to be updated!!! I'll be tallying them tonight or tomorrow!  
  
;o) 


	3. What is love?

Okay this is the last one for me to update before I start tallying the reviews! This is your last chance to review the stories you want updated first!!!! Enjoy the fic!  
  
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"Hey you guys! I'm back!" Kagome smiled cheerfully as she exited the well, waving at the gathering group.  
  
"Feh. Took you long enough!" Inuyasha complained. "You were gone for FIVE DAYS! How many tests did you have to take?"  
  
Sango immediately stepped forward. "You should thank me Kagome." Her dark eyes hinted at a deeper meaning. "I told him about all the tests you had this week so he wouldn't go to your time and drag you back."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened. If Inuyasha had come back, he'd have found out about Jason! "Thanks Sango." She met her friends gaze, hoping that she would understand the depth of her gratitude.  
  
Inuyasha interrupted the 'moment' after catching sight of Kagome's backpack and leaping for it. "Ramen?" He questioned, not even waiting for an answer before he tore into it.  
  
Miroku raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the look that had passed between the two girls. Something was up.  
  
"No, Inuyasha, there's no Ramen." Kagome averted her gaze from the hanyou. If anyone noticed that she wouldn't meet his gaze, they didn't say anything.  
  
"Wench. You're gone for nearly a week, and you don't even bring Ramen." He sniffed. "What good are you than?!"  
  
Both Miroku and Sango winced at the impending "sit", but it never came.  
  
"Sorry Inuyasha, but you're not the most important thing in my life." She calmly picked up her backpack and headed towards the woods. "Let's get going, I have to be back by Monday."  
  
"Monday!"  
  
Even Sango and Miroku looked concerned. "How are we supposed to find ANY jewel shards in two days?" The monk tried to make his voice reasonable.  
  
"We'll just have to try our best. I have commitments in MY time too you know!" She didn't look at Miroku when she said this, instead turning towards Sango. "Please understand."  
  
"Of course we understand." The demon exterminator tried to play the peacemaker. "It's hard for all of us." Seeing that no one looked appeased, she grabbed her friend by the arm. "We're gonna go uh . . . pick some berries for lunch before we head out!" They took of towards the woods, leaving the two boys utterly confused.  
  
*************~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~***** *******  
  
"So what's up, Kagome? Why do you have to leave so early?" Sango made sure they were out of hanyou-hearing distance before she spoke.  
  
"Well, Jason really doesn't like it when I'm gone for too long. He says if I'm sick, he'll cut some of his classes to come visit me. He's really sweet that way."  
  
"Or obsessive." Her friend smiled. Kagome glanced at her sharply. "It was a JOKE Kag! Of course it's sweet, I wish a guy cared that much about me."  
  
The miko's face softened. "Yeah, he's pretty great." Turning her face to the bushes, the girl continued. "And uh, for the record, I'm not gonna be eating lunch today. I already ate in my time." It shocked her how easily she could lie to her best friend.  
  
"No problem, more for the boys. My word they eat a lot!" Sango began to pluck at some of the brightly colored fruits. "We better actually pick some berries or they'll force the truth out of us."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******* *******  
  
When they arrived back at camp, the boys had just finished cooking. Sango immediately grabbed a plate. "It doesn't smell like it's poisonous . . ." Miroku grinned, knowing it was the best compliment he could expect from her.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as everyone but Kagome began eating. "Oy, wench. Do I have to do everything for you?" He picked up a plate and filled it completely, setting it in front of her firmly.  
  
"I'm not hungry." She didn't look him in the eye. Jason didn't like her associating with boys. "I ate in my own time."  
  
His eyes widened at the blatant lie. As if he couldn't smell the hunger all over her! "You haven't a bite today, have you? You smell empty, and I can hear your stomach growling."  
  
"I'm not hungry." She repeated stubbornly.  
  
"It doesn't MATTER whether you're hungry or not! You're supposed to eat three meals a day!" Had Kagome been in her normal state of mind, she would have laughed at how motherly he sounded and taken comfort in how worried he seemed to be about her. As it was, she got mad.  
  
"What do YOU know! It's not like it's bad for someone to skip a couple meals! I'm just trying to stay in shape, not that it's any of YOUR business!" She shoved the plate off her lap forcefully.  
  
"Where did you get that idea, you idiot! Of COURSE it's bad to skip a meal!" Inuyasha yelled louder to cover how worried he was. Now that he thought about it, she WAS a little skinnier . . .  
  
"Like you would know. People in MY time are smarter than people like you." She knew the comment would sting, and she averted his gaze so as not to see his face.  
  
Sango suddenly jerked her head up. "WHO told you it was okay, Kagome?"  
  
She met her friends gaze. "Someone I really care about." They both knew whom she was talking about.  
  
"Wow. It sounds like they REALLY care about you." Sango purposefully made her voice sarcastic, hoping to open her friends eyes.  
  
"Shut up Sango." Kagome stood up and left, her footsteps loud in the sudden silence that followed her command. No one could remember her EVER being that rude to someone.  
  
Both Miroku and Inuyasha had the distinct feeling that they'd missed something.  
  
***************~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~ ~******  
  
Eventually she returned, refusing to speak a word to anyone. They continued with their search for the shikon shards unsuccessfully, and just as she was about to return to her time, Inuyasha pulled her aside.  
  
"Hey, Kagome?" He rubbed the back of his head nervously. He didn't DO heart to heart talks.  
  
"Yeah." She stared at the well, purposefully avoiding his gaze.  
  
"What's wrong?" If she had actually looked at him, she'd have seen the concern she thought she heard in his voice.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I MEAN, why won't you look me in the eye? You haven't even TALKED to Miroku or I unless we ask you a question directly first."  
  
"You're being too sensitive." She sighed, as if tired.  
  
"Oh, and I suppose I'm just imagining that you barely eat enough for a small animal?"  
  
"We've been over this, it's none of your business!" Her voice was sharp.  
  
"What IS my business than? You always say that I only think of you as the Shikon detector. The fact is, when I try to actually worry about you, you push me away."  
  
"I'm not the one with relationship issues Mr. I-Love-A-Corpse, and I don't NEED you to care about me anymore! So why won't you leave me alone!" She actually met his gaze this time and he flinched at the fire in them. Either she really really hated him, or he had hurt her more than he ever had before.  
  
"Kagome, I'm sorry about Kikyo, I'm sorry that I-"  
  
"Shut up." She jumped through the well, terrified of seeing the hurt she had inflicted.  
  
************~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~**************~~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
Kagome didn't understand the turmoil of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. Part of her (the underdog part, she reminded herself snidely) insisted that she should have listened to Inuyasha, that maybe she had been too harsh on him and herself. But the other part of her reminded her that even talking to Inuyasha was a betrayal to Jason.  
  
Her thoughts weighed down heavily on her as she went to sleep that night.  
  
**********~~~~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~**********~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
The next day at school, Kagome did her best to hide her confusion from Jason.  
  
"Morning, hon!" She kissed him on the cheek, blushing as she did so.  
  
"Morning, Kag." He hugged her briefly. "How was your weekend?"  
  
She ignored the thoughts of Inuyasha that flitted through her head. "Boring, how about yours?"  
  
"Every day is boring that you're not around."  
  
She punched his shoulder playfully. "I bet you say that to all the girls."  
  
"No, only the special ones." He teased.  
  
"Thanks. I feel SO much better." She rolled her eyes. "Let's go, first period starts soon."  
  
***********~~~~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~*** *******  
  
"Hey Kagome. I was wondering if you could give me your notes from math the other day. I missed because of that science field trip." Hojo hastened to catch up to the girl.  
  
"Uh. Sure Hojo, no problem." She glanced around guiltily, hoping Jason wouldn't see her. Flashing Hojo a small smile, she dug into her backpack for her binder. "Here you go." She handed him the papers. He smiled, and opened his mouth to thank her, when he was cut off, almost fiercely.  
  
"Are you two having fun?" Jason's smile was cold as he approached the two teens.  
  
"He was just borrowing my math notes." Kagome had to focus to keep her voice from shaking. She wasn't afraid . . . was she?  
  
"Yeah. It's not a big deal." Hojo started to say more but Jason interrupted him.  
  
"Go away. Kagome and I need to talk."  
  
With a worried look at Kagome, the dark haired boy obliged.  
  
"I thought we had this talk." He grabbed her arm fiercely, forcing her to look him in the eye. "I thought you said it would never happen again."  
  
"I'm sorry." Her voice came out shriller than she had intended. "He just needed my notes, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to even TALK to him." *He controls whether or not you're supposed to do something?* A small voice whispered, but she ignored it.  
  
"Well now you know!" His grip tightened. "I won't have you flirting with other boys as if you were some common slut! You're MINE, Kagome. Because I'M the one that loves you."  
  
"I know." She whispered into his shirt, vainly trying to blink back tears at the pain shooting up her arm.  
  
"And don't you dare forget it." He whispered in her ear, the way a lover might, but the sound sent shivers down her spine.  
  
"I won't." He released her arm, and she let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Good." He smiled at her, tenderly, and she let herself melt. Inuyasha had never smiled at her like that. Jason DID love her, even if he was a little rough around the edges. "I don't want to lose you, Kagome."  
  
"You won't. I promise." She smiled at him, needing his approval. He grinned back, and gave her a peck on the cheek before heading to his next class.  
  
As soon as he was out of sight, curiosity got the better of her, and she rolled up her sleeve, wincing at the sight of the already forming bruise.  
  
But at least he loved her . . .  
  
***********~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~~~~******* ***~~~~  
  
So? What do you think? Finally, I've updated EVERYTHING, which means I tally the reviews, and start all over again. It's a vicious cycle, but I love it!!!  
  
Oh!  
  
And I started another fic (I'm STUPID, but oh well.) It's an AU X-men fic, so even if you're not a fan you can read it *hint hint*. It'll be MAJOR angst, and put this and all my other fics to shame. It's not angsty yet, cuz it's only the first chapter. But by chapter three, you'll be shocked at how angsty I can be! Lol I'm really obsessed, aren't I? Oh well. If you have the time, check it out and review? Ok? Thanks! I love y'all! 


	4. Don't wake me up

Wowzers this chapter really got a lot of interest! Here are my shout outs! (I apologize if ur name doesn't come up, the site doesn't always show me everyone!)  
  
Hehehe: I want my own protective dog demon too! I wonder if there's a catalogue we can order one from . . . there's a catalog for everything these days. Lol!  
  
Baby-horses-unicorn: Here's more! I'm glad you like my writing! I hope you like this chapter too!  
  
Crimson snow: Yeah, Kagome's being ignorant, but it's just because she needs to feel loved so bad. I'm so happy you like my story!  
  
Dark Whispers: Is it original? That's great! I'm always afraid someone will have done my ideas before me and everyone will flame me, calling me a copy cat! I'm thrilled you like it! Let me know what u think of this chapter!  
  
Celtic *Kokoro* Knight: I'm so glad you like this! I really really REALLY am! I adore your fics! And yes, it's Inu/Kag. I love that couple! *sigh* And yes, Jason is a filthy son of kikyo, lol. I'm gonna have to use that someday . . .  
  
CrazyLady: Yup, he's supposed to be that way. And it's NOT because he's American. I really hope ppl don't start thinking that, lol. I'm glad you like!  
  
Coyote Fire: Thanks for the review! I'm updating as fast as I can!  
  
Namiko the Anime Wizard: I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!  
  
Crash and burn: I want to smack him too and I created him! Maybe Inuyasha will just have to do enough smacking for the both of us . . .  
  
Aldrean Treu Peri: Thanks for the advice! I was planning on having Souta notice something later and than maybe the mom but I think I'll bring them in earlier now. I'm really really happy you liked it! Thanks so much!  
  
Sweetnshort: Yes! My name comes from X-men! Rogue because she's the coolest, and Kitty cuz she's my second fav girl. You're the first person to have noticed WOW! Thanks! I write X-men fics too! The silent Assassin one will be angsty! If you have the time, you should check 'em out!  
  
Monique: For the record, ALL my inu fics are inu+kag. It's just not right if they don't end up together! But an inu+kag ending could still not be a happy one . . . dun dun dun . . ..  
  
IceDragon: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter too!  
  
Ronda: Yeah, Sango calling Kagome Kag is kinda wrong, I was rushing when I typed it though and it came out, you'll have to forgive me. But I do like the nickname Kag, just not when girl says it, lol. Oh, and Kagome only falls for those lines because she wants Jason's love so bad. You know what I mean? I hope to explore more of that later. And as far as the review thing, it doesn't determine IF I update, it determines the order. I'm working on 5 stories and I INSIST on updating all of them, I just decide what order by reviews, does that make sense? Don't worry, I LOVE writing this, so there's no way I'll stop!  
  
Chels-Dawg: You'll have to read the chapter for the answer to your question, but I DID update before Sunday! Aren't you proud? Lol  
  
Kirara: Oh yes . . . he will die . . . I hope u like the next chappie!  
  
KK: Thank you! Yeah, her common sense is kinda clouded by her 'need' to be loved. Don't worry, something will happen!  
  
J-Lynn: Here it is! The next chapter! I hope it lives up to your expectations!  
  
Blankis: I'm updating! Yes, Inu's reaction will be VERY interesting!  
  
Rivendellgurl15: Yeah, HIWTHI has the most reviews, but reviews only determine the order. I have to update one more story after this before that one. I hope you like this chapter!  
  
Little Devil: Thanks so much! I'm totally happy you like it! Let me know if this chapters good too!  
  
Keichan: Thanks! I really hope you like the rest of the story too! Let me know, k?  
  
River Daughter: Thanks SOOOOO much! I'm totally gonna need luck. I've done three updates today and my fingers are killing me! I'm glad you like the emotion, that's always my favorite thing to work with. I guess that's why I like angst so much. Lol, hope you like the next chappie!  
  
OKAY, that's it for the shout outs! Here you go! The next chapter of Somebody Love Me!  
  
**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***************~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
She stared at the blank notebook, utterly at loss for inspiration. She hadn't been able to write a decent song in over a week. Deep down, she knew it was because she was stopping herself. She was afraid of what she'd write if she cut loose. But here she was. Alone in her room. She could write anything . . . no one would ever know . . .  
  
Her hand began to move across the page, eyes distant.  
  
******  
  
I used to believe in a thing called love  
  
I used to think it could conquer all things  
  
I used to trust that things would work out  
  
But now all I know, is that  
  
I ran  
  
And you didn't follow  
  
I cried  
  
And you weren't there to wipe away my tears  
  
I gave up  
  
And you didn't give me a reason to stand again.  
  
All alone, my thoughts found you  
  
And I could almost see your smile  
  
It wasn't real, but neither were your promises  
  
What could it hurt, to make believe for a while?  
  
CHORUS  
  
Don't wake me up  
  
From this sleepless dream  
  
Don't make me face  
  
Reality yet  
  
Let me pretend  
  
My heart isn't dead  
  
Don't wake me up  
  
Just yet  
  
*****  
  
Verse 2:  
  
People grow and people change  
  
You stayed the same but I didn't dare  
  
I didn't find someone else, he found me  
  
I only gave in when  
  
He spoke  
  
And said what I needed to hear  
  
He kissed  
  
The way I imagined you would  
  
He loved  
  
The only way he knew  
  
Wrapped in his arms, I can't see you  
  
He's hugging me close, I don't dare move  
  
Tighter and tighter, it hurts to breathe  
  
As long as it's love, I don't care if it hurts  
  
******  
  
Don't wake me up  
  
From this sleepless dream  
  
Don't make me face  
  
Reality yet  
  
Let me pretend  
  
My heart isn't dead  
  
Don't wake me up  
  
Just yet  
  
****  
  
As long as it's love I don't care if it hurts  
  
As long as he loves, I don't care if he hurts  
  
****** Don't wake me up  
  
From this sleepless dream  
  
Don't make me face  
  
Reality yet  
  
Let me pretend  
  
My heart isn't dead  
  
Don't wake me up  
  
Just yet  
  
Please  
  
Please  
  
Don't wake me up  
  
I don't want to wake up  
  
********END********  
  
Her hand shook as she wrote the last line. She closed her eyes tight so she wouldn't have to read her own words.  
  
'I gave up and you didn't give me a reason to stand again'  
  
Inuyasha didn't even seem to care that she didn't love him anymore. He hadn't noticed anything except that she wasn't eating. And even before that, he never gave her a reason to hope. He didn't love her. He never would.  
  
'As long as it's love, I don't care if it hurts'  
  
Oh! She wanted that so much. She wanted someone to love her, she wanted someone to need her! Even if it wasn't Inuyasha, if someone could just look at her as if they actually cared . . . She needed that.  
  
'As long as he loves, I don't care if he hurts'  
  
Where had that line come from? Kagome forced herself to feel confusion. He NEVER hurt her. Her arm was still bruised from when he grabbed her, but that was an accident. He didn't mean to hurt her. She wouldn't let him hurt her . . . she was . . . pretty sure.  
  
'I don't want to wake up'  
  
The last line burned in her memory.  
  
"There's nothing to wake up from!" She muttered aloud. She loved Jason. Or if she didn't, it was only because she wasn't over Inuyasha yet. She would learn to love him. She had to.  
  
"Kagome! Phone!" Souta's voice came through the doorway.  
  
"I got it!" She hollered back, picking up the extension in her room. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey!" It was Jason.  
  
*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
Inuyasha stared at the well like he'd been doing for the past twenty-four hours. He'd been staring so long, he half-expected Kagome to come out and demand what he was doing. But that wasn't going to happen. He felt like she would never come back. Logically, he knew she would, but somehow it didn't seem like it would be her. It would be a shard-detector, but not Kagome.  
  
Kagome would never starve herself.  
  
Kagome would never hurt Sango.  
  
Kagome would never tell anyone to shut up.  
  
Kagome would never drop shard collecting as a priority.  
  
Kagome had disappeared.  
  
Inuyasha didn't know who he was dealing with now.  
  
But  
  
Even though he wouldn't admit it to himself  
  
He wanted Kagome back.  
  
Having no idea what he would say to her, he leapt into the well.  
  
****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************* *~~~~~~  
  
Kagome didn't notice the hanyou perched on her tree, but he could hear her loud and clearly through the open window.  
  
"Hi Jason!"  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"You miss me? Well I miss you too. I've been missing you for exactly one hour, ever since school got out."  
  
A laugh.  
  
"I don't think I can do anything with you tonight, it's a school night, you know how my mom is."  
  
Another pause.  
  
"I know you love me." Inuyasha's ears perked at that, and he had to stifle a growl. She began to fiddle with a piece of notebook paper, covered in her handwriting.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." She hung up, and he wished desperately that he could see her face. Did she love this guy? This Jason? She didn't say so, but she didn't get mad when he'd said it. He saw her fist tighten, and her other hand came up to crumple the piece of paper she'd been toying with. He watched her drop it on the floor before he turned away.  
  
****Flash back******  
  
"I don't NEED you to care about me anymore!"  
  
****End*******  
  
She didn't need him.  
  
She had Jason.  
  
Like a lost man, he found his way back to the well and transported back to his own era. His gaze was glazed, distant.  
  
Not even Kikyo had made him feel this alone.  
  
**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************ ~~~~~~~  
  
Sorry! This chapter didn't have much of Sango or her family's stuff yet, but that'll come soon, I promise!  
  
I owe you guys an apology.  
  
I HAD to have a song, I just really wanted one.  
  
So I took a chorus I had already written and added verses to it on the spot. If you hate it and think it's lousy of me to stick it in there, I'll understand, but I was in a song mood, so please forgive me! Please! Go ahead and flame me if you must! As long as u review! ;o) 


	5. Pointing fingers

Okay! Sorry it's been ages! I was at a church camp, and now I'm back! I hope u don't hate me! Here's the next chapter!!!! Oh and I won't be doing shout outs anymore except in special cases cuz I got complaints. ;o)  
  
*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
"Kagome hasn't been back in a WEEK!" Shippou wailed. "Why haven't you gone to go get her back yet Inuyasha? I bet she left because of you again, didn't she? I can't believe you! You're so selfish, and mean, and lazy, and pigheaded, and stupid, and bossy, and you're such a jerk!"  
  
"Shut up." The hanyou growled. Even Shippou was intimidated by the look in his eyes.  
  
"This is just a random guess." Miroku fiddled with his prayer beads. "But I'm assuming something happened the last time you went to Kagome's era."  
  
Inuyasha remained stubbornly silent, keeping his gaze on the well.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sango made her voice as comforting as possible, sensing the pain her friend was going through.  
  
"If I wanted to talk about don't you think I would have said something by now?!" He fixed a glare on her and she fell silent.  
  
Miroku calmly picked up his staff and turned to leave. "It's not healthy to keep everything buried inside of you. When you realize that you have friends who want to help you, come find me." He motioned for Shippou and Sango to follow, and they passed the half-demon by, one by one. Sango offered a sympathetic glance before disappearing into the trees.  
  
And Inuyasha was alone with his thoughts.  
  
*Does she love him?* The question had been burning in his mind for the entire week. It was driving him crazy. He kept imagining this 'Jason' going on 'dates' with Kagome . . . hugging her . . . maybe even kissing her. He felt his fists clench. Stupid wench! What right did she have to go and do something like that?!  
  
Deep down though, he knew she had every right. Why wouldn't she? And why did he care? He'd spent their entire adventure together insulting and humiliating her. He had chosen Kikyo over her time and time again. What right did HE have to do that to HER? He should be glad that she had found someone who loved her.  
  
Jason called her to tell her he loved her.  
  
He was sentimental with her.  
  
If that was love, Inuyasha knew he could never compete. He wasn't the tender type. Maybe with Kikyo, but that was half out of guilt. It would probably be best for Kagome if she never had to deal with him anymore.  
  
She was right.  
  
She didn't need him to care about her anymore.  
  
It didn't matter that he needed her.  
  
**********~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~~~~******* *****~~  
  
Kagome slid into an empty table at lunch to wait for her boyfriend. She winced slightly as her arm brushed against the table. The first bruise he had given her had healed, only to be replaced by others. She had been stupid and inconsiderate. He was right. She shouldn't talk to Hojo when they were dating. She shouldn't talk to any boys. She had been acting like a common slut.  
  
He had been right about her friends too. They had all tried to tell her that he was bad for her. HE was bad for HER! They were the ones telling her to dump her boyfriend, when he had always acted in her best interests! She didn't associate with them anymore, and that had been HER decision. Jason had been proud too, kissing her on the forehead. He'd told her how smart and wonderful and beautiful she was.  
  
Inuyasha had never done that.  
  
And she'd given up so much more for him.  
  
Because no matter how much she 'loved' Jason, there was a part of her that refused to forget Inuyasha. That part of her told her that Inuyasha's smiles were more beautiful and wondrous than any of Jason's sweet words and kisses. Even now, after she'd been dating Jason steadily for weeks, she found herself thinking more and more of Inuyasha.  
  
He hadn't come to get her.  
  
After every fight she could remember, he had ALWAYS come to her time to get her. But this time he didn't. Which proved just how stupid she had been to ever believe he could have cared about her.  
  
"Miss me?" Jason slid in across from her, flashing a grin.  
  
"Of course!" She smiled, ignoring her split lip. Jason had seen a boy whistling at her that morning, and the wound hadn't completely healed. She had to find a way to make boys stop looking at her. She felt Jason's shame every time someone looked at his woman.  
  
His woman.  
  
It used to bug her when Kouga called her that. But with Jason, it was true. She was his. Part of her was disgusted with the idea, but it was quickly quieted. Jason loved her, and that was worth anything.  
  
"Your lip seems to be healing pretty well." Jason commented, glancing at her critically.  
  
"It's getting better." She touched a finger to her lip gingerly. "I'm sorry. It's these stupid school clothes, I'm sure of it! I wish they'd let us wear less revealing uniforms!"  
  
"That's part of it." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "But you have to be careful how you walk or look at people. Guys will get the wrong idea. Unless you WANT them to." He looked at her sharply and she shook her head adamantly.  
  
"No! You know I don't!" His gaze softened.  
  
"Good." He paused. "I love you, Kagome."  
  
She felt the familiar flush of pleasure at his words. "Really?" She sounded like a lost child, but she hungered for that assurance.  
  
"Really."  
  
And that made everything okay.  
  
*******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
"Mom! Grandpa, Souta, I'm home!" Kagome let her backpack slide to the floor as she headed up to her room.  
  
"Hey honey!" That was her mom from somewhere in the kitchen. Grandpa didn't answer, probably caught up with purifying some more paper charms or something. And Souta . . .  
  
. . . Was sitting on her bed when she reached her room.  
  
"Hey Kagome!" He smiled perkily.  
  
"Hey!" She smiled at him. "What's up?"  
  
"Not much, I just wondered if you'll play Mutant Commando's with me!" He looked so hopeful, she almost gave in.  
  
"Sorry squirt, I can't. Jason said he'd call and I'll probably be on the phone all night."  
  
Her brother made a face. "You're ALWAYS talking to Jason! You're finally taking a break from ancient Japan and I never get to see you."  
  
She crossed the room to her desk, making sure she could reach her phone. "Don't worry about that past Souta. I won't be going back."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "You say that every time you have a fight with Inuyasha. But than he'll come back and you'll make up and you'll be gone again."  
  
She shook her head tiredly. "Not this time kiddo. I don't think Inuyasha's coming back."  
  
His eyes widened at the prospect of his hero being gone for good. "Why not?!"  
  
She sighed. "Big people stuff Souta. Big people stuff."  
  
"You were mean to him weren't you." It was a statement, not a question, and Kagome felt herself getting annoyed at his assumption.  
  
"What makes you think that I'M the mean one? He's ALWAYS mean! Why does it have to be MY fault, huh?"  
  
"Because." His eyes were sad. "When Inuyasha screws up, he always apologizes. If he's not coming back, it's because you won't give in."  
  
For a full minute she just stared at him. "It's not my fault." Her tone was harsher than he'd ever heard. "I'm sick of him running my life and leaving me for Kikyo. I'm done with him. I have Jason."  
  
Souta's expression hardened ever so slightly. "Is HE the reason you're fighting?"  
  
She pointed to the door, suddenly unable to deal with him. "Get out." Her voice was almost cruel. Without a word, he complied, shooting her a look that could have been described as contemptuous.  
  
She had to use all her willpower to answer the phone with a steady voice when Jason called a minute later.  
  
*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************* **~~~~~  
  
"He's still there." Shippou reported, entering the clearing where Miroku and Sango had been waiting.  
  
"Why hasn't he gone back?" Miroku asked quietly, not expecting an answer. "He always goes back. Doesn't he want Kagome to come back?"  
  
"Maybe," Sango's voice was soft. "Maybe she won't come back."  
  
The two boys turned to look at her, neither wanting to understand the logic behind her words.  
  
"Maybe Jason means more to her than we all thought."  
  
************~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~***** **  
  
Really REALLY short chapter! I'm sorry! But I have so many to update and the next chapter involves Hojo being less of an idiot and actually helping her! I think I'll throw Kouga in for good measure. Please review! 


	6. She was beautiful

I got back from (my SECOND) camp today! And guess what! (not that u care) My family BUILT me a DECK extending from my room! Major wow! I love them! Anyways, here's the next chapter, and I promise, no more camp! (Though I'm supposed to visit some ppl in LA for 2 weeks….)

**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~((((((((((

She was beautiful.

Even now, when the cheekbones were starting to become a little too sharp, she managed to give off a sort of aura of loveliness. She was thin, an unhealthy thin that would have made other girls look hideous, but it only made her beauty tragic in it's nature, compelling the observer to refrain from tearing his gaze away from her.

It wasn't just her weight that made her tragic, it was the way she carried herself. If Jason wasn't around, she held her head high, proudly refusing to meet the gaze of her peers, holding herself apart. But when in the presence of her boyfriend, she kept her head meekly lowered, and spoke softly, in a musical voice that one had to strain to hear.

The students all watched her. They saw Kagome Higurashi, the beautiful seventeen-year-old, dating Jason, the most wanted boy in high school. They saw a smart girl with a dazzling smile, never mind that such smiles had become rare. 

The students all watched her.

But only one saw the loneliness hidden behind her eyes where a soul should have been. Only one person missed the smile that had once flashed constantly. Only he watched her tragic beauty grow with regret.

It had been no secret that Hojo used to have a crush on Kagome. Even she knew it, though she had always kept quiet, allowing them both some space. He knew he could never have her, even back than, before Jason. Whenever anyone mentioned 'love' or anything remotely connected, she had gotten a far away look in her eyes. Hojo might not have been known for being very smart, but he knew what girls looked like in love, and Kagome Higurashi was completely, desperately, and hopelessly in love.

Whoever he was, it must not have worked out, because instead of being with someone who might have truly cared about her, she was now with Jason. Hojo wasn't blind. A lot of people said he was on the slow side, but he was the one who saw Kagome's internal battle, not them. He didn't know what had happened to make her give up everything that made her special, but he cared about her. And even if it wasn't love there was no way he was going to watch the essence of the woman he could have loved die slowly, right before his eyes. 

So Hojo did something he never thought he'd do. 

He cut fourth period.

He knew the grade schools got out earlier than his school, so he was counting on Souta being home when he reached the Higurashi shrine. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do, but he knew he would find out whom Kagome had loved. 

If he had any humanity in him he'd give his soul to save what was left of hers.

********~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~

She was beautiful.

She knew it was true. She had seen the envious looks of her classmates, especially in later weeks.

But now, looking at her reflection in the dirty bathroom mirror, she didn't see anything worth admiring. She was so skinny.

Too skinny.

But not skinny enough.

She was so pale.

Too pale.

But not pale enough.

She was so empty.

Too empty.

But not empty enough.

There was still enough left of her too hurt.

She tried to think back. Had it always been so hard to please him? Had Jason always been so demanding? She remembered him helping her with her songs. She didn't write anymore. Whatever her inspiration had been, it was gone.

She raised her long, slender, thin, fingers to her face, letting them rest lightly on her cheek, remember how soft it had once been.

__

"Go away Inuyasha!!!"

"Not until you tell me why you're crying wench!" Inuyasha's voice was gruff, but there was actually worry in his tone.

"I'm NOT crying! Go away!!"

And suddenly he was in front of her, one clawed finger resting on her cheek, gently brushing a tear. _"If you're not crying, than what's this?" His voice was softer than she'd ever heard it. She was trembling. His hand moved up and than down in a gentle stroke._

"Your cheeks are so soft." His voice was almost wondering. It would have sounded ridiculous coming from anyone else, but from Inuyasha, she thought her heart would stop.

"Inuyasha,"

He interrupted her. "Don't cry Kagome." The gruff self was back. "It'll make you all red and splotchy, not to mention you'll smell even worse."

She didn't even see him leave.

She stood there a long while, clutching one hand to her face. She couldn't even remember why she was crying anymore, something to do with Souta being a brat. It wasn't until she could feel her hand had stopped shaking that she allowed herself to return to camp. His words echoed in her mind for days after.

Your cheeks are so soft.

She could feel the bone beneath her fingertips. If she pressed harder, it would actually hurt. She wasn't the same anymore. She had to admit that to herself.

She was still Kagome Higurashi, but the definition of what made up Kagome had changed. She wanted to cry for the self she used to be, but that wasn't part of the new her. She didn't cry. She had no one left to comfort her.

Mom and Souta and even Grandpa would have tried, but it wouldn't have been the same. Only Souta even noticed that anything was wrong, and he was too mad at her to do anything about it.

Her fingers moved to trace the outlines of her face, gliding over her eyes and lips. Oh yes. She was beautiful. She was becoming everything Jason wanted her to be. She was smart and thin and _obedient._

Oh yes. She was beautiful. She was becoming everything Jason wanted her to be.

And she hated herself for it.

But that wasn't entirely true. The _old_ Kagome hated herself. But the person staring back at her was too concerned with making Jason mad to worry about such petty things as self-hate.

Somebody loved her.

The words were sounding more and more hollow to her.

*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****************~~~~~~~~~~~

Souta wasn't allowed to be in her room.

It had been an unwritten rule since their fight a week before.

But he couldn't help himself. Though he couldn't have explained his feelings if he'd been asked, he missed her. He missed laughing with her, playing with her, and even doing her chores for her.

There was a time when Souta would have given anything for his sister to be at home more. But the girl who'd been living with them for the past few weeks straight was so different from his sister it was hard to tell they were the same person. At first it had been little things. She'd lock herself in her room for hours, or ditch their 'game' time to hang out with Jason. But after awhile she'd gotten really moody and depressed. She was angry all the time. It was like she hated everyone.

So here he was.

Standing in the center of her room, unable to understand why he was fighting back tears.

When the doorbell rang, it took him a full minute to escape his thoughts enough to make it down the stairs to answer the door. Neither grandpa nor his mother was at home.

He opened the door, expecting it to be a salesman or something similar. When he recognized the visitor his jaw dropped slightly. "Hojo? Uh, Kagome's not here. She's at school?" The way he said it made it sound like a question. Wasn't Hojo supposed to be in school?

"Actually," The dark haired boy looked a little unsure of himself. "I'm here to see you." Souta moved, allowing the newcomer move to step inside. "You've . . . noticed the changes in your sister, haven't you?"

Souta almost sighed audibly in relief. It hadn't been just him! "Yeah. She has a new boyfriend. I guess that's part of it." He didn't mention the fight with Inuyasha. He knew that was top secret.

"Her new boyfriend's a," He paused to modify his language for the younger boy. "A jerk. He's the reason Kagome's changed. And it hasn't been a good change." He added in a quieter voice.

"Why are you here?" Souta held his breath. He agreed with everything Hojo said, but what was there to do about it?

"Kagome," He paused and took a deep breath before starting again. "Kagome cared for someone a lot, didn't she?" He saw the look in the boy's eyes and pressed on. "Don't bother denying it, I'm not blind. Whoever he was must have hurt her pretty bad."

"Maybe." For a ten-year-old, he could sound awfully ominous.

"Does he love her?" The question came out blunter than he'd intended, but he didn't even attempt to soften them. "Is there any chance he really truly cares about her?"

Souta hung his head. "I don't know." He admitted quietly. "She wouldn't tell me what they fought about. It must have been bad."

There was another guy. Even though Hojo had known it was true from the beginning, it still hurt to know he'd never stood a chance with her.

"Can I talk to him?" He didn't recognize his own voice, but he forced himself to meet Souta's gaze. "I'd like to tell him about what's happened to Kagome." _And who's been doing it to her._ A voice in his head added.

Souta hesitated. "I'm not sure . . ."

"Please." There was a note of desperation in his voice. Their eyes met and in that instant the younger realized that whether or not Inuyasha loved his sister, someone else did.

Slowly, he nodded his head. "You're not going to like it though."

Confused, Hojo followed him up the stairs into Kagome's room. The younger boy headed straight for her desk and produced a small glass jar containing fragments of a pink jewel.

"You'll need one of these." Dumping one into his hand, he screwed the lid back on before setting it on back on the desk. More confused than ever, Hojo followed him out to a shed containing a well.

"His name is Inuyasha." Souta's eyes were dark as he told someone he barely knew his family's biggest secret. "He lives in ancient Japan." Before Hojo had a chance to react, he pressed the shard into his hand so hard it stung, and pushed him into the well.

He didn't land for a long time.

*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*******

I thought that was a relatively long chapter compared to most! C'mon! (Desperately seeking for approval). In any case, here ya go! And I'll try to update all of my stories soon! Be sure to let me know what u like!

Rogue Pryde ;o)


	7. Hojo in feudal japan!

Hey! Don't hate me please! I've been busy (remember that long rant at the end of HIWTHI? Yeah) Anyway, I just got back from a friends house, I've been there the past couple days. And plus, I kinda lost all inspiration. BUT I'm back! So no hating! Lol, enjoy!

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Kagome closed the door quietly, hoping no one would hear her. Grandpa was probably asleep and her mom was most likely at work. She prayed Souta was blasting the music again, a habit he had started after their fight.

She didn't want anyone to see her.

Slowly she made her way up the stairs, strands of hair falling across her darkening face. She was so confused. Jason had never hurt her as bad as Inuyasha. She was lucky that he loved her.

So why was she fighting back tears?

She didn't understand the emotions swirling within her. Part of her would give _anything_ to go back to the days when she went shard hunting with Sango and everyone. But it was too late. She knew that much. Inuyasha wouldn't soon forgive her and she couldn't see herself living that life . . . not anymore. Memories of friendship and laughter now only confused her more. She didn't understand them.

The rest of her insisted it was wrong for her to be anything but perfectly happy with Jason. She didn't want to hurt him like his old girlfriend had . . . like Inuyasha had hurt her. He loved her. He _loved_ her. She tried to repeat the words over and over in her mind like a mantra, but they soon faded into nothing.

She paused before opening her door, overcome with a sudden overwhelming tiredness. She didn't know where she found the strength, but she somehow managed to force herself through the doorway, stopping short at the sight of her brother.

"Souta." It was intended to be a cry of outrage, but escaped her as a mere whisper. He turned towards her, hands clenching a crumpled piece of paper tightly, almost desperately. Her heart sank.

__

Her song.

"Kagome." He lifted his gaze to her face and both flinched visibly. 

"Souta," She repeated, desperate to explain herself. He didn't respond, just stared at the bruise still forming on her bony cheek.

"He hurts you." It was a whisper. The paper glided to the floor. She opened her mouth, ready to defend his actions, but was startled to find tears flowing down her cheeks. She sank to her knees, and would have fallen over completely if Souta hadn't ran across the room and enveloped her in a strong hug.

"I'm sorry." The words tore from her mouth in broken sobs. She had let him down. She wasn't sure exactly how, but the guilt was unbearable. "I'm so sorry."

He didn't say anything, just held her. Glancing up at him she was shocked to see tears of his own coursing down his cheeks. "Me too." Sorry for not being there for not being there when she needed him. Sorry for fighting with her when she was in such trouble. Sorry for not realizing what was happening sooner. Sorry for not protecting her like a brother should.

They clung to each other with a desperately, heedless of the tears that wouldn't stop coming.

***********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****************~~~~~~~~~~~***

There had been a rumor of a jewel shard near Kaede's village, bringing the group much closer to the well than Inuyasha liked. No matter how hard he tried, his mind insisted on bringing up images of her at every opportunity. He caught scent of the well and growled as yet another memory resurfaced.

__

"About time you got back wench." He was perched on a tree near the well, where he'd been sleeping for the past week. She was rarely gone more than three days when she went back to her time.

"Well excuse ME. I have things to do you know!" Her eyes flashed with annoyance. "Do you have any idea how many tests I had to take? And I bet I flunked them all too cause I'm always HERE!"

"If you hate us so much why don't you go BACK to your time and STAY there!" He growled.

"I have responsibilities here too! I promised I'd gather all the jewels and--"

He jumped off the tree, landing right in front of her. She stubbornly refused to flinch. "I release you from your promise. Go back to your time. We wouldn't want you to have too many RESPONSIBILITIES now would we?" He spat the word, eyes filled with an emotion she'd never seen him show.

But she'd seen it in her own reflection numerous times.

Every time he compared her to Kikyo . . .

She smiled softly. "I'm sorry Inuyasha, I was being stupid. You're not a responsibility at all. And I don't want to fight with you."

He took a step back. "Feh, as if I care if you think of us as a responsibility. I was just mad because you delayed us so long." He paused, than grinned devilishly. "Wench." He added.

"Inuyasha?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "Sit."

He fell to the ground with a thud.

"It's good to be back." She laughed, stepping over him.

It was good to have her back, though he'd rather die than admit it.

Now he had to wonder if he'd have told her, would she have run off with _Jason?_

Maybe not.

Or maybe she wouldn't have cared.

*****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~***************~~~~~~~~~

Hojo blinked rapidly, trying to assure himself that he was not, NOT, in feudal Japan.

It wasn't working.

Hesitantly he took a few wavering steps away from the well. At the sound of voices, however, he leapt behind it.

"Are you COMING Shippo?!" The growl was so fierce it sent shivers up his spine. "Let's just get this over with!" Hojo thanked his lucky stars he wasn't Shippo.

"You're being MEAN Inuyasha! If Kagome were here," The voice broke off, probably due to a fierce glare from 'Inuyasha'.

Wait.

Inuyasha . . .

Kagome . . .

Crap.

Holding his breath, he steeled himself, forcing his body to step out into the open. "Inuyasha!" He called, his voice echoing across the clearing.

He wasn't prepared for the white haired hanyou that landed in front of him.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded irritably. "Who are you?"

Hojo gaped. "You're a . . . a . . ."

The dog demon growled. "A hanyou. So. What."

Hojo shook his head wildly. "Nothing! I mean, that's not what, that is . . . Are you the one Kagome knows?" His voice may have been a _bit_ higher than he'd intended . . .

Inuyasha growled even more fiercely, but Hojo took that as a yes and stood straighter. If he was a friend of Kagome's, he wouldn't hurt him . . . Right? 

"I go to her school. My name is Hojo, and I-" He broke off at the other mans glare.

"YOU'RE Hojo?" His teeth flashed. "You're the sorry scum that won't stop asking her out. She's told me about you." He snorted. "She says you're 'nice' and 'polite'." He spat the words as if they were insults. "What do YOU want? And tell me why I should just kill you now." He was NOT in a good mood.

"Because I came to get your help." Now that he wasn't scared spitless, it was easier for him to talk to the half demon as if he were normal.

"Why would I help YOU?" He asked the question with contempt. His companions had caught up, a girl with long dark hair, a monk, and a little kitsune.

"Does he have any jewel shards?" The kitsune demanded.

"No brat, shut up. He wants 'help'."

"What kind of help?" The girl turned her serious gaze on him. "Is your family in trouble?"

The monk smiled widely. "Do you have a sister?"

There was a thud as the girls weapon collided with the back of his head. "What was that for Sango!"

"Perverted thoughts Miroku. Stop having them." She twitched.  


Hojo watched, wide-eyed. Shaking himself, he tried again. "I don't need help for me or my family. It's for Kagome."

Once again he was interrupted by a multitude of voices.

"Where is she, Homo? What have you done to her?"

"Kagome! She hasn't been back in weeks!"

"SHE doesn't have a sister."

"Miroku, SHUT UP!"

"Kagome needs your HELP!!!!!!" He shouted, causing everyone to freeze and look at him.

Finally.

"She's started dating this guy at school, Jason, and he's a total jerk. I don't know why she puts up with him, but he tells her to stop eating, and that she's not good enough for him. He's even," He broke off at the sight of their faces.

"I knew it." Sango's face was intense. "I _told_ her he didn't love her."

"He says it too her all the time. I heard them on the phone." Inuyasha clenched his fists.

"Wait." Miroku held up a hand. "EVERYONE knew this but me? Why was I left out?"

"I didn't know!" Protested Shippo.

"That makes me feel SO much better."

"But the point is," Inuyasha was talking again. "What are we supposed to do about it?"

Hojo shook his head. "Not all of you. Just Inuyasha. You're the one she loves."

"She doesn't love me." His face was a mask, devoid of all emotion.

"Don't you care for her at all?" Hojo was getting frustrated. "I don't know what goes on here in this era, but we're not talking about someone being mean to her. He's _changing_ her! You probably wouldn't even recognize her anymore! And he's _hurt_ her! I've seen the bruises."

Inuyasha turned his intent gaze on the human, threatening to burn him up with the passion in his amber eyes. "He hurt her?" It was a question, but barely.

Numbly Hojo nodded.

******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm ending it here. Kinda short but I've had a LOOOOOONG night and I'm tired and I'll write more later. Sweet dreams everybody!

Rogue Pryde


	8. Confrontation

WOO HOO!!!!!!!! ANOTHER UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol, I'm such a spaz. Oh well. I'm soo sorry about the delay guys. Schools starting soon, and you wouldn't believe the rush. I'm pumped though. I got a 4000 dollar grant for my first year of college! WOO HOO! Lol, anyway, enjoy!  
  
Oh! And here's another apology to Yani C. I love her work. She's great. But I NEED to update. I'm SORRY!  
  
***********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~*****  
  
The phone rang and Kagome moved to pick it up. She gave her brother a shaky smile before answering it. "Hello?" Both of them recognized the voice on the other end though Souta could barely hear it.  
  
"Hey Kag. I'll pick you up in two minutes for dinner." Jason's voice was so calm, so normal, making the memories of his anger seem so distant and foreign. She glanced at her brother.  
  
"I don't think I can make it . . ." She began hesitantly. He moved to her side and slipped his hand in hers, bringing tears to her eyes. "In fact, I don't think this is working."  
  
"You don't think what is working?" His voice was low, and if she'd been in the right frame of mind, she'd have realized how dangerous he sounded.  
  
"You and me, being together. I don't love you Jason. I'm not going to be with you anymore." She hung up before she lost her nerve. Souta grinned at her and squeezed her hand.  
  
"Wanna play Super Smash Brothers?" She laughed at the expectant look on his face.  
  
"Sure kid. It's been to long since we've played. Though I didn't realize you were so anxious to lose." She was smiling, giddy with the rush that came from dumping Jason. She pushed all thoughts of school to the back of her mind. For the moment, she was free. And her brother loved her.  
  
Grinning, they both ran to the living room.  
  
***  
  
Inuyasha didn't waste any time. Not even glancing at the others, he threw Hojo over his shoulder and leapt into the well. Briefly, he heard Shippou complain about being left behind, but than the darkness swallowed them up.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, set it up and I'll go make some cocoa, ok?" Kagome waved her brother forward as she turned into the kitchen. It took her a minute to find the packaged chocolate flavor, and than she had to heat the water to boiling. She set the kettle on the stove, lighted it, and glanced out the window.  
  
Technically, she was now free of the dark cloud that had been hanging over her, changing her, these past few weeks. But she didn't feel completely free. She felt safer, maybe even a little happier, but she still felt the gnawing loneliness Jason had nearly filled.  
  
It wasn't an instantaneous transformation. Even now, she found herself distressing over the length of her skirt, or feeling a little lost now that he wasn't here to tell her what to do. It had been so long since she'd been completely and totally in charge of her own life. How pathetic! She was disgusted with herself.  
  
How hard could it be to live your life?  
  
But that's how it seemed . . . so terribly hard. When she thought about the moment, she was okay, maybe even better than okay. She was going to spend some long needed time with the brother that loved her more than she knew, and than she'd do her homework in an effort to bring her grades up.  
  
But what about school?  
  
What would she do when she went back to school on Monday? It was Friday now, giving her at least the whole weekend to decide how to handle herself, but she wasn't sure if that was enough time. There would be friends to explain herself to and curious glances from other students. And she wasn't sure she could face Jason. Sure, she was scared that he'd hurt her, but the thing that terrified her most was that she would take him back.  
  
Jason had always calmed her with his sweet words and gentles looks, always making her forget or ignore the hardness of his hands. But now, she had finally stood up to him. Would she be so easily swayed? She hoped not. She wanted to be sure, but couldn't quite find the strength to believe in herself.  
  
Because she hadn't dumped Jason for her well being. She had done it for Souta. If nothing else, she wanted to keep his love, and maybe even his respect. Was that need enough to conquer the needs Jason filled? She didn't know.  
  
Her other fear was Inuyasha. It had been so long . . . too long. She had a responsibility in the past. She had ignored it far too long. She had broken the jewel, and it was her duty to gather all the shards. If she didn't, chaos would reign in the past and who knew what kind of effect that would have on the future?  
  
But if she went back, she'd have to face Sango, her best friend. She had said horrible things to her, in anger over Jason. Not only would she feel foolish, but she was afraid she wouldn't be forgiven. Part of her argued that she was being dumb. Of course Sango would forgive her! But she couldn't quite convince herself that anyone would forgive someone who couldn't forgive herself.  
  
And of course, there would be Miroku and Shippou to explain the situation to. Miroku might take it in stride, and try to be as supportive as possible. He'd probably be hurt she hadn't told him before, but he really would try to understand. She wasn't sure yet what she would tell the young Kitsune. She didn't want him to know just how pathetic she had allowed herself to be. It was bad enough her brother had found out. She wanted to remain perfect in at least one person's eyes.  
  
And than there was Inuyasha . . .  
  
She felt tears sting her eyes at the thought, but quickly blinked them back. How could she face him? She'd been horrible to him, openly leaving him for Jason, something he had never done with Kikyo.  
  
He wouldn't forgive her. She didn't even bother pretending he might. She had done the unforgivable, and Inuyasha had never been the kind to bend the rules for anyone.  
  
How could she survive going back to the past, and spending so much time with him? She couldn't imagine the pain she would feel. Jason's "I love you"'s had been like a drug, and she had been so addicted she could hardly move without them. Now that she was going cold turkey, she'd not only have to live alone, but spend time with the one person who's love had ever mattered.  
  
What kind of person did she appear to be, that God thought her that strong?  
  
She was about to tear her gaze from the window, spying the steaming kettle from the corner of her eye, but suddenly she froze. A black Honda pulled into her driveway.  
  
As if in slow motion, she watched the door open and a young man step out. It was broad daylight, so nothing hindered his imposing image. She watched, open-mouthed, as Jason made his way towards her front door.  
  
Suddenly she found her voice. "Souta! Get upstairs to your room, now!" She ran into the living room, not caring if she scared him with her panic.  
  
"What's wrong?" He looked terrified. She gripped him by the shoulders.  
  
"Go upstairs. Don't come down no matter what. Promise me!"  
  
He stared wide-eyed at his sister's face. "I . . . I promise."  
  
"Good." She released him, and watched with relief as he ran up the stairs. When she heard the inevitable knock at the door, she ignored it. There was silence, and for a moment, she thought it would really be that easy.  
  
Than she heard the handle turn.  
  
Crap! She cursed herself mentally. I can't believe we don't lock the door! She couldn't run upstairs. She didn't want him to see her brother. She ran into the kitchen, hoping it offered better hiding places than the living room.  
  
"Kagome." His voice was hard. He closed the door behind him. "Where are you? We need to talk."  
  
"I don't want to talk to you!" She shouted furiously before clamping her hands over her mouth. Nice going genius.  
  
He bypassed the living room and walked straight into the kitchen. She stood as tall as she could, mentally reminding herself that the stove was not the best thing to grab on to to steady herself, regardless that it was right behind her.  
  
"Now." Jason's voice was cold, and he spoke slowly, stressing each word. "Why the sudden change of heart?"  
  
"I don't . . . I don't . . ." She refused to meet his gaze. "I don't love you." His eyes hardened briefly, before he smoothed his features into a hurt expression.  
  
"I love you." He whispered. "Do you know how much you're hurting me?" There was so much pain in her voice, she had to look at him to see if he was even slightly sincere.  
  
"I . . . I . . ." She cleared her throat, determined not to get lost in his wounded eyes. "I don't care." She forced the words out, almost spitting them.  
  
"You're just like her." His expression changed dramatically. Kagome didn't need to ask who 'she' was. His old girlfriend from America had been a constant goal for her to beat. She had been so blind! She had convinced herself he was so much better than Inuyasha, but even Jason compared her to another girl. Briefly, she wondered just what it was about her that made her unable to be worth anything on her own.  
  
"Go away Jason." Her voice was tired, almost as if she didn't realize the seriousness of her situation. But that couldn't be farther from the truth. In reality, she just wasn't sure if it would be worth it to fight . . . she wasn't even sure that she could fight back.  
  
Grabbing her arm, he pressed her body against the counter so hard it stung. She bit back a cry. "You want to know what I think of you? Do you?" He clenched the front of her shirt and yanked her towards him before throwing her back against the countertop. Her head smacked the cabinets and her vision clouded briefly.  
  
"Stop it." It was somewhere between a moan and a plea. He laughed at her, cruelly. She opened her mouth to say more but he slapped her sharply across the face.  
  
"You are a pathetic little slut." He spat the words, spraying her face with his saliva. Disgusted, she looked away. Angrily, he slapped her again. "I should never have wasted my time on you. Do you want to know what you deserve?" He slapped her again. "Do you?" His voice had raised to a near scream.  
  
She didn't answer. Distractedly, she felt a warm thick liquid fill her mouth, leaving a strange unwelcome metallic taste.  
  
He lifted her up by the front of her shirt easily, terrifying her with his sheer strength. "I'm going to . . ."  
  
"Put her down if you know what's good for you." A familiar voice growled from the doorway.  
  
Jason whirled around, throwing Kagome's body to the ground as easily as if she'd been a doll. Against her will, she found herself lifting her bruised head to find the face of her rescuer. She didn't need visual confirmation, she knew that voice, but her body refused to listen, torturing her with the sight of the one person she couldn't bear to become disgusted with her.  
  
"Inuyasha." Her voice was a whisper, as if afraid he would hear. He did, of course, tossing her a genuinely worried glance before he achieved eye contact with her ex-boyfriend.  
  
For the first time in his life, Jason began to wonder if he had done something incredibly foolish.  
  
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WOO HOOO! I'm proud I finally got this out! I need to update Silent Screams too! It's been too long! I'm SO sorry! Things are SO hectic here! Anyways, the next update will be out as sooooooon as possible! I promise!  
  
Rogue Pryde 


	9. Resignation

Yes! I'm alive! Though it was a close call with all the tests and assignments and stuff. The Linkin Park concert was FANTASTIC for those who asked about it. I cut out early though cuz of all the pot smokers makes a face I'm not a fan. And! I promise to try to update more, I really do. Life was crazy for a while but it's getting better now! I promised my friend I'd update at least one more since I'm  
  
starting a new one  
  
(called Kinda Weird, you should ALL read it! Please!) and this one is one of the winners. Just cuz I'm in the mood. Anyways, SO SORRY for the delays!  
  
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It took Inuyasha less than three complete strides to make it to where Jason was standing. Kagome kept her head lifted just enough to watch his progress, ignoring the pain searing through her skull and down her neck.  
  
Jason had paled when he first heard Inuyasha, but regained his color when he caught site of the intruder. The white-haired boy didn't seem to be any older than him, and Jason knew he could handle himself in a fight. All it took was one glance at Kagome's beaten, tear-streaked form to make his confidence sky rocket. He turned back to Inuyasha, the corner of his lips curving into a smirk.  
  
"And who might you be?" He made his voice as mocking as possible, casting another vicious glare at Kagome. "Was this whore cheating on me?" He sneered at her, and to her disgust she felt herself wilt under his gaze.  
  
Inuyasha didn't even deign to respond. He grabbed Jason by the front of his shirt and lifted him off the ground, slamming him against the wall. "You're an idiot." He spat, reveling in the fear rolling off the human in waves.  
  
Kagome's eyes widened at the murder in the hanyou's eyes. Ignoring her aching body, she got to her feet, hastening to his side. "Inuyasha." Her voice was hardly a whisper. "Don't kill him!" She placed a hand on his arm, pleading him with her eyes.  
  
"Why not?" He turned his glare on her. "Because you _love_ him? I don't know why I bother saving such a pathetic wench like you." That hurt. She stepped back, stung as if he'd slapped her. Inuyasha didn't back down though, hiding his hurt at her defense of the human.  
  
"No." She insisted, brushing off the pain that came with his words. "Because people can't go around killing people here! This isn't ancient Japan! There are laws we have to follow!" She was terrified. If he killed Jason, in her kitchen, there would be trouble for her family. Her voice wasn't as forceful as it could have been though, and she cowed under his glare.  
  
"I don't have to follow them." He argued, his grip on Jason's throat tightening. "He hit you Kagome! Doesn't that matter to you at ALL!"  
  
"Why does it matter to you?" She muttered. Hurt registered in his eyes, but she was too far gone to care. Yes, Jason hit her. Yes, it mattered to her. But Inuyasha was conveniently forgetting her submissiveness, making her feel even more weak and pathetic. She just wanted him to go away so she wouldn't have to face him anymore.  
  
Inuyasha froze. "It matters Kagome." He was trying to meet her eyes, but she continued to stare stubbornly at the ground. "Why doesn't it matter to you?" His voice was so soft, so confused, it made her want to cry.  
  
Fighting back tears, she pressed her back against the wall and slid to the ground. "Because she's a pathetic piece of filth." Jason spat, his face twisted in anger. His eyes were wide, almost unseeing. He looked as if he'd lost his mind to his rage. If she would have looked at him then, she wouldn't have been able to remember what it was about him that drew her to him. But her eyes were focused listlessly on the ground.  
  
Inuyasha growled in response, tightening his chokehold. Jason would have been dead in a matter of seconds if Inuyasha's ears hadn't twitched in response to a familiar and unwelcome sound. Kagome was crying.  
  
Her shoulders heaving in silent sobs, tears streamed down her face. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her knees, hugging them close against her, her fingers entwined with each other, as if it would stop the spasmodic shaking coursing throughout her body. Inuyasha's heart went out to her.  
  
He slammed Jason against the wall again with just enough force to knock him unconscious, and let him fall to the ground. Then he focused all his attention on Kagome. "What's wrong?" It was a stupid question. But he sounded so lost asking it, there was no doubt it was genuine. He squatted down in front of her, trying once again to meet her eyes. "It's going to be okay." He whispered, wondering himself if it was true.  
  
Kagome didn't even try to speak. She just cried. When her shaking grew stronger, moving her limbs in violent spasms, Inuyasha reached out and held her to steady her. The more she shook, the tighter he held on. Eventually she began to grab at him, clutching at his haori with both hands, finally letting out her pent up sobs. He held her like that until she cried herself to sleep, and than picked her up completely and tucked her into bed. He didn't look back as he slid out her window and down into the well.  
  
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When morning came, Kagome was still in bed, exhausted. It wasn't until early afternoon that she both woke up and had the strength to get out of bed. Souta was waiting by her door.  
  
"Hi." He said quietly. He looked so mature right then. He wasn't looking at her like she was just his bossy older sister, there was some amount of respect in his dark brown eyes. She followed him to her bed and sat next to him.  
  
"How are you doing?" She asked tiredly. She felt like she had aged too. Suddenly she didn't want to keep up with the world anymore.  
  
He grinned at her then, reminding her of her little brother. "I should be asking you that. You have a nasty looking bump on your head, and there's a not so pretty bruise forming on your cheek too." He paused, and looked down before continuing. "Is Jason gone for good?"  
  
Kagome hadn't actually seen him leave, but since her mom hadn't come home from work and freaked over a body in the kitchen, she assumed he'd regained consciousness and left. He wouldn't be coming back. "Yeah." She said softly.  
  
"Good." Souta reached over and took her hand in his. "I don't want him hurting you anymore." Kagome nodded silently, trying not to cry. She squeezed his hand gently.  
  
"Me neither." She whispered. He nodded. He looked so mature right then, meeting her gaze with such adult quiet compassion. He was growing up. Or maybe he was being forced to act that way since she obviously wasn't playing the part herself. She squeezed his hand again. "I'm okay." She assured him, schooling her features to show a confidence she didn't feel. She couldn't lean on him anymore, it wasn't fair to him.  
  
He squeezed back. "I'm glad." There was a pause. "Kagome?" He started tentatively, than stopped. She gave him a reassuring look and he continued. "Are you mad that Inuyasha came?" He sounded his age again, and she could see the genuine worry in his eyes.  
  
She squatted down in front of him, cupping his shoulders in her hands. "No." Briefly, she wondered if that was true. "He saved me. I don't know what Jason would have done if he hadn't of come." That was a lie. He would have killed her. Sighing, she brushed her brother's hair back, behind his ear. "Why are you so worried about that?"  
  
He bit his lip, a habit when he was nervous. "It's my fault."  
  
She was confused. "It's not your fault Souta. You were in your room when he came."  
  
He shook his head. "Hojo came over today, before you got home from school." He looked at her, as if gauging her reaction. "He was really worried about you. He asked me," He hesitated. She started to say something but stopped when he continued talking.  
  
"He asked me who you loved. He knew you liked someone, from before, but that maybe it didn't work out or something. He knew Jason was bad. I don't know if he knew how bad, but he knew. And so I gave him a jewel shard."  
  
Kagome froze. "What?" She had to have heard wrong. First of all, talking about ancient Japan with outsiders was a no-no, Souta knew that. And secondly, Inuyasha would kill Hojo on sight.  
  
"I didn't really tell him anything." He hastened to explain. "I gave it to him and had him jump down the well. I guess he found Inuyasha."  
  
Hopefully he was alive. Kagome knew she should be more stressed than she was, but she really didn't have the energy for it. Instead she released her hold on Souta's shoulders and got to her feet. "Yeah." Her voice was tired, even to her own ears. "I guess he did."  
  
She patted him absently on the shoulder as she left the room. As she headed down the hall, she got a glimpse of her reflection on the mirror. Yeah, Jason had really been pissed. Gently, she pressed the tip of her fingers against the tender flesh. Wincing, she jerked them away again.  
  
Once she made it down the stairs, she walked straight through the house until she made it to the first door that would take her outside. She was done with Jason. Refusing to hide what he'd done to her felt like a small act of defiance. But she still didn't want her mom seeing her face clear of all make up.  
  
Wandering aimlessly, she suddenly found herself in front of the well. She would have to go back . . . eventually. In her own time, she'd have to have a long talk with her mother, and at least try to explain some of what had happened. She'd have to talk to Hojo too, and thank him. If he was still alive. She needed to spend more time with her brother, time where he could be a little boy again.  
  
Her friends would also demand some kind of explanation for why she'd broken up with the perfect boyfriend. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell them the truth, not when they'd been so oblivious to it. But it was her own fault. If she hadn't been the spineless wimp she'd turned out to be, than she could have stood up for herself, or told them the truth. It wasn't their fault she made a good liar.  
  
And then there was the past . . .  
  
Sango probably suspected something. They'd talked about Jason before, and of all her friends, Sango was the only one who knew how much Inuyasha's indifference had hurt her. But she was also afraid of losing her respect. In all honesty, she expected to lose it, but the idea of Sango seeing her as just another helpless female hurt.  
  
Miroku would be the easiest to talk to. Damsels in distress were his specialty, and she was pretty sure an abusive boyfriend put her in that category. He'd be understanding, and kind, and probably a little lecherous but that was to be expected. His perception of her would change, however, and like Sango, it would hurt for him to think of her as weak.  
  
She wished she could just keep it all from Shippou. He didn't need to know that the person he regarded as a mother figure was pathetic. He didn't need to have the things he believed to be true proven as lies at such a young age. But who was she kidding? Keeping the truth from him would benefit her most of all. Someone would still look at her with that innocent expression on idolized love that she had taken for granted. But she didn't deserve it, and somewhere inside her she still had enough pride to grimly promise herself that Shippou would find out the truth, from her own lips.  
  
She'd have to face Inuyasha too.  
  
Even though he already knew the truth, in a way it'd be harder to deal with him than anyone else. She wouldn't be telling him how pathetic she was, he had seen it for himself. He had found her broken, bloody on the floor, and cowering under Jason's glare. He had witnessed first hand how weak she was, and she knew that weakness was a trait he abhorred above all others.  
  
With a resignation that felt more like giving up than 'doing the right thing', she squared her shoulders and stepped into the well.  
  
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Okay! Yay! An update! And since summer's here, I promise it won't be forever and a day until I update again! Scouts honor! I hope you like this fic. There wasn't much action, but Inuyasha couldn't kill him or I'd have to write about the trial. Also, Kagome forgot to think about seeing Jason in school... so maybe he's not as out of her life as she'd like to think. I hope you guys like this! 


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